Musescore 4 vs Sibelius, which is better?

[@BambiTrout]

Also, with MuseScore, the best thing to do if you plan on using it long term is learn the hotkeys. N switches you in and out of Note Input mode and then you can use the number keys at the top to select note values in the same order that they are displayed in the toolbar (4 = 1/8 note, 5 = 1/4 note, 6 = 1/2 note, etc.), and letters A-G to enter the corresponding note (in the octave closest to your previous note). Notes can be made dotted with ".", S and T add slurs and ties to the currently selected note(s), basic articulations are various shift combinations, -/=/+ are for flat, natural, and sharp respectively, hairpins are , tuplets are ctrl + the desired division, you can shift octaves with ctrl + up/down, add intervals with alt + 1-9, and then you navigate the score with the arrow keys and select by using alt + arrow keys. As you become more familiar with it, it becomes almost second nature, and the toolbar is more useful as just a way of knowing what you currently have selected, rather than your primary input mode - a bit like Sibelius power users with the num pad. In the past I've basically written entire scores pretty much just using the keyboard. I've often hated it when you get a program and people just say "learn the hotkeys" but for real it saves so much time in MuseScore, and imo they're all very intuitive other than shift + O for marcatO and shift + N for teNuto. I never looked up a guide for any of them, I just messed around because I hated using my laptop trackpad and found them out over time.

[@Lucerious92]

Hotkeys are a lifesaver. I learned the ones for Sibelius in college since my theory professor gave a a cheat sheet for it. Some of them transfer to Musescore but others I just guess or look it up in the options. Figuring out N for note input is the first thing people should learn for ease of use. I use a MIDI keyboard for the actual notes but also use my typing keyboard for rhythms, articulations, and all that. Makes for a decent flow.

[@nerdydrew6818]

Came to say this exact thing, you can really lay down notes pretty quick once you have the hotkeys down.

[@mojokahma6931]

I use Sib 8, the number pad on the right end of the keyboard selects the note value, zero puts in a rest for the selected value, enter key on number key pad does a tie. can type notes in left hand and values right hand very quick

[@wizendweaver]

3:14 the note window is undockable in Musescore and can be dragged around like the Sibelius one.

[@musescorerr613]

Called "Navigator" in Musescore - in "View" menu

[@BambiTrout]

I think my biggest issue with MS4 at the moment is the instability and a couple of issues with the volume levels and reverb of MuseSounds when used for non-orchestral works, but tbf instability in a new release is pretty much standard for most software these days, and MuseSounds is a brand new technology and VST all rolled into one. I expect over the next few updates they'll start to refine the sounds and fix a lot of the bugs.

[@bruceboome]

Why not compare the apps using Muse Sounds' incredible free orchestral libraries? That nocks Sibelius right out of the park.

[@erictheviolinist]

Will do that!

[@drumlinedesigns]

what about sibelius sound library that comes with sibelius? (extra install doesn’t come pre installed)

[@swymaj02]

I think Musescore holds up better as it looks more professional. Yes, u need more steps to get things done, but that's why I use the keyboard. Compared to a tiny window, I find the keyboard super efficient. My only issue with MS4 is that I have to do a couple clicks just to get the master palette up.

[@swymaj02]

Another issue with MS4 is that I always have to click the rewind button to play from the beginning. I use Space to play anywhere, granted I'll have to select a note first. It is tedious in that sense. I find that rewind bit annoying.

[@housepianist]

I’ve been a Sibelius user for almost 2 years now and it’s been a reasonably good experience for me. However, I did download MS4 when it was released and I have to say that I rarely use Sibelius now. As good as Sibelius is, there are enough quirks about it that makes me wonder why I’m paying so much money every month (I have Ultimate) to get certain features that are already available in MS4. Things like implementing octave bars or moving notes from bass to treble (I’m a professional pianist) or spliting notes out into different voices is SO much easier and intuitive in MS4. With Sibelius, you have to jump through hoops and layers of complexity to get those features to work. Even with that, some of those features aren’t even available in the free version of Sibelius. Sound wise, the MS sound fonts are superior to the midi sounds in Sibelius, but in fairness, I do have NotePerformer 3 which is quite good. Maybe MS4 can incorporate that sound library in the future? Or at least work on getting their sound library to compete with NP3. When my annual subscription to Sibelius ends, I will revert back to the free version and use MS4 exclusively. I’m quite content with it and it’s nice to be able to use a software that’s maybe 80 to 90 percent of Sibelius Ultimate. And for free!! 👍

[@erictheviolinist]

Amazing! Thanks for contributing to the conversation 👍

[@geu6270]

Try Dorico SE which is free (install is a PIA but it works) and many people REALLY like it after moving from Sib (not me read on). The problem of course, is the standard of so many transcribers and places to work is Sib (makes a big deal for me when I have something transcribed or do work with someone). I have all 3 installed and honestly found Dorico as cluggy to use as Sib. I am back with Musescore 4 with all it's bugs and things moved all over the place different than 3. The UI is just WAY easier to use when interacting with a lot of playback at various speeds (my style lol) when composing or transcribing.

[@palpytine]

I feel as though this was unfairly biased against musescore with regards to playback. Try putting in some articulation; legato, staccato, etc - like you would find in any professionally composed score for violin. Mix and match in the same piece if you can. And only THEN compare the playback between the two applications.

[@erictheviolinist]

Hi Kevin, If you buy Avid's Note Performer orchestral sound library, that would be a different conversation when using Sibelius. If you just work with the midi, it doesn't work that well unless you have that plugin. I was comparing both software with what came with them as free versions. Thanks for commenting

[@ifer1280]

@@erictheviolinist So you just disregard the best things about MuseScore because Sibelius doesn't have it? That makes no sense.

[@run1492]

I've just tried MuseScore loading a .mid with a piece from the composer Sibelius (opus 76 nr. 2) and it worked great: it detected the bass cleff automatically (in the software Sibelius I had to transform it from treble to bass), and I can also name notes (A,B...) and play with slow or faster rate easily. It also sounds (piano) WAY BETTER than in the software Sibelius

[@geu6270]

I have had fits with some more complicated mids and musicxml loading into muse4 or exporting to other programs. It certainly has quirks and bugs in how it interprets mid and xml files. That said, it is amazing to even call them standards as almost every single piece of music exported from Muse, Sib, Finale, Dorico and imported into a different program are messed to some degree (again, unless they are very simple.) It has always been that way with midi's and Music XML was supposed to fix that and it has been as big a mess as a standard that Midi 0 and 1's were.

[@ViolinistJeff]

One of the best advantages in Sibelius is that you have the option to select note duration and accidentals in the numeric keypad, which essentially lets you type music with a lot less necessity of the mouse. Does Musescore or Dorico have anything like this?

[@nepunepu5894]

what i like from sibelius is that the little menu they have is put to mirror a numpad, so you dont actually need to remember which numpad correspond to which note duration/accidentals. both Musescore and Dorico has shortcuts too but you need to internalized it first to use it efficiently.

[@RLLarsen]

I'm trying out MS4 and so far, I like it. I used to subscribe to Sibelius, but it became so complex for me that I looked for an alternative. MS was not really up to "snuff", so I tried Dorico. I REALLY like Dorico after learning it. Perhaps you could do a comparison between that and MS. I have uploaded the sound library called Note Performer which gives me, IMHO, superior playback--better than MS. Thanks for your video on this. I am happy I discovered your channel! Take care.

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

Is Dorico free? Where is it available?

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

I am still comparing them. Usually I nickname Musescore as Sibelius Junior.

[@erictheviolinist]

When do you think there will be a Sibelius Senior??

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

@@erictheviolinist I just say it as a metaphor, due to its graphic resemblance in certain points. No Sibelius Senior was taken in consideration. Naturally I realized the differences between them.

[@mortusmt]

I really have hopes on Musescore to surpass Sibelius. Being using Sibelius for quite some time, and this program just makes you repeat a large process to reach the result, for example if you want to hide a time signature change warning you have open another window everytime, the thing just can't remember your preferences, also having more than 2 repetetitions on a barline is worst! a whole mess, plus it doesn't have a playback sound for some signs, and other essentials are just missing like the tuplet tremolo or brass bending. Musescore may have some functions that sibelius doesn't and viceversa, but overall Musescore feels more clean, more organized, and more intuitive. I'ts a shame is buggy right now but it has lots of potential, I really hope to be a happy Musescore user in the future.

[@geu6270]

Just remember there are never going to be really good standards in Muse because you never know who the heck is writing what just like all open source. Bugs take forever to fix and there are serious bugs with each new version that were fine in the last version. Everyone works on it in their spare time so you pay for what you get and doing an update can be seriously haphazard. That said, I still like it a bit better (for the reason you mentioned) than Sib. Allot of people are downloading free Dorico Se and giving it a try. Many advanced music comp software pros love it. Not me but I have relatively simple needs.

[@angerock49]

I LOVE musescore 4 but i just can't use it, all sound come out garbled distorted and screeching :( Apparently a fair amount of people have that bug and no other music program on my computer has it

[@CasioCraigFilm]

Same ahhh it’s so annoying

[@lexczad411]

real time MIDI is needed !!!

[@pauliecaccamise1980]

So I am moving to MuseScore 4 because I paid for Sibelius First years ago, then I upgraded to 7.5 and now I will have to have a subscription and this software model really bothers me. Why? I guess I'm old. I also feel Sibelius for how much they are charging has an ugly ugly '95 UI and for my use which is Piano, Voice and maybe an instrument or two. Nothing more than 4-6 if ever. Mostly piano and voice. UI in Sibelius HAS now excuse looking that cumbersome and ugly. I feel there is a different way. But sibelius does have good midi input methods.

[@brandonmiller8436]

Sometimes it crashes by closing it. that’s crazy right there

[@erictheviolinist]

That’s happened to me too

[@drumlinedesigns]

one of the main reasons i use sibelius is because i like the way their scores look/ the style of their music cuz at the end of the day, the score is the final product (i make recordings in logic to have more control) so i judge music software on look more than anything because you can just install the same 3rd party sound libraries for musescore, sibelius, dorio, & finale and people saying “sibelius is too complicated” muse score has damn near the same UI (as in you get the same outcome by doing the same stuff) plus, shortcuts work wonders

[@Sigmicator6947]

I think now days MuseScores new update easily out beats anything with its different sounds. And external sounds. Also the styles you can place on each instrument.

[@geu6270]

A big difference for me as both interfaces are a mess to use on windows and following no defined standards for windows software users. Then, for throttling down playback speed to a particular level is a PIA in Sib 7 Ult. and in Muse4 a serious bug when you change the playback speed. That said, it is MUCH easier to use MS4's playback panel than Sibs mess of a playback tab. (to get past the well documented bug in Muse -> first to get to tempo throttle you have to undock the playback panel), then as you are playing if you change the tempo it makes the playback move erratically all over. To overcome that bug simply hit the spacebar to stop playback. Then click AGAIN on the note where you want to playback at the new tempo and you are good to go. That said, just remember every time you change playback speed you need to RECLICK where you are and everything works fine. 🙂

[@mikamulperi]

Musescore is corrupting projects at the moment if you use vst instruments

[@PhilHarmonicus]

Could I politely suggest that you rehearse this presentaiton before recording it? It's not very polished, is it? I lost patience and couldn't finish it.

[@cbbcbb6803]

Dark mode does not display well when watching KZbin videos on a smallish screen.

[@lyntedrockley7295]

This guy knows little. Musescore 4 is FAR superior to Sibelius. The comments here seem to agree.

[@DDArtsArts]

Nah lol, Musescore is clear and obvious winner. You missed quite a few things

[@raztube90]

What a blah blah video Maybe work with it for few months first then make a video 😮

[@musicfileslibrary]

Sibelius is a lot better

[@DarkWhatever91]

there must be something wrong with the audio because i can't hear shit

[@YiannisPapayiannis]

"Finale" still the best notation program....